Modo. For Every Kind of Family.

Family Day Q&A: Modo Plus & Associate Members

At Modo, we aim to provide a service that’s as inclusive as possible and gives people the freedom to choose a car-free or car-lite lifestyle. We understand that everyone has a different reason for carsharing, which is why our membership plans are flexible and affordable starting from just $5 per hour, and our vehicle models vary to suit different trip types.

With the Family Day long weekend approaching, we want to give our Modo family something to celebrate. When you add a Green Member or Associate Member to your account in February they’ll receive $50 in free drive time* with code FAMILYDAY.

So long as you share the same address, adding a friend, partner, or family member to your account is easy! Read the Q&A below to get a glimpse into the lives of your fellow Modo Plus, Associate, and Green Members.

Member Feature: Lisa & Oliver

Modo Plus & Associate Members.

Q: Tell us a little bit about you and your family!

Oli and I met through mutual friends and started dating almost 20 years ago. Oliver has worked in IT since university, and I taught ESL for almost a decade. I shifted to freelance writing and blogging (www.spokesmama.com) when I had children, then I started teaching again in 2016, but this time as a cycling instructor. I love living in a relatively compact, bikeable and walkable part of Vancouver because I get fresh air and exercise every day while just going about my business.

Q: How long has your family been Modo members and what type of membership plan are you on?

I joined Modo in 2003, Oliver in 2008. We’ve been full shareholding members since the beginning; Modo Plus members. I’m also a business member through work.

Q: What made you want to join Modo?

I needed access to a car occasionally to visit family who live in other parts of Metro Vancouver, and to do occasional things like furniture shopping or picking up loads of compost for the garden. Not having to own a car, find parking for it, maintain it, and everything else seemed like a great idea. Plus I could drive whatever type of car or truck or van I needed for the job. I’m generally pretty utilitarian when it comes to what I drive, but I was not immune to the charms of the cute early 2000s Volkswagen Beetle with its heated seats and flower holder!

Q: What does a day in the life look like for you?

My work is seasonal and I work in different locations all around Metro Vancouver, so it depends on the time of year. Spring, Summer, and Fall, I’ll usually bike to work, or bike-transit-bike depending on how far away I’m going. For the days where I’m bringing equipment with me, I’ll pick up a Modo truck with a co-worker and drive with one or two dozen bikes, helmets, and other equipment to the school we’re teaching at. Days I’m not working, like the winter off-season, I’ll bike my kids to and from school in one of our cargo bikes with time for writing, volunteering, and errands during the school day. We spend a lot of time letting the kids run off steam in various playgrounds after school, then we usually have dinner all together.

Q: How does your family use Modo together?

Generally, we use Modo to go to extended family gatherings in West Vancouver, and Coquitlam where it’s time-consuming to take transit or bike. About once a year we take a Modo for a local camping trip somewhere like Alice Lake or Golden Ears.

Q: How does having access to over 700+ vehicles help with your family’s transportation needs?

I like being able to pick the right size vehicle for the job. So rather than having to own something huge, we can use an easy-to-park compact for going to and from outings in the city, an 8-passenger minivan when we want to go camping with another family, a pickup truck when we are picking up a backyard play structure bought on Craigslist, or a sedan with a decent size trunk for our camping gear.

Q: What was your most memorable Modo trip?

My most memorable Modo trip is going to BC Women’s to have my daughter. My labour with my son was only eight hours, so we were prepared for my daughter’s birth to go fairly quickly. As soon as I was in labour, we had a Modo car booked & ready to go… but she was taking her time. 34 hours later, Oliver took the Modo back & I was going to try to have a nap. Minutes after he left the house, my on-again-off-again labour suddenly shifted into *very* active labour. I called Oliver & he rushed back to get another car & we went straight to the hospital. Oliver walked me into the main entrance where I met our midwife, & then quickly parked the car (free parking for Modo drivers on the permit zones around the hospital!) & met me back inside. Once she decided she really wanted to come out, my daughter was *not* waiting for anyone. The ticket we got from the machine when we drove in said 5:23pm, & my daughter was born at 6:24pm!

Member Feature: Ly & Ivo

Modo Plus & Associate Members.

Q: Tell us a little bit aboutboth of you!

I was born and raised in Vietnam and moved to Vancouver in 2010 for my undergraduate at UBC. I met Ivo (who’s Dutch) in 2013 when I was visiting my family in Vietnam, and tadaa, he moved to Vancouver to be with me seven months after. We’ve been together for 5 years now and currently live together here as permanent residents. I’m a marketing/design professional (a proud employee of Modo!) and Ivo manages a local game coding school for kids. Besides our love for traveling, we’re outdoor enthusiasts. Vancouver is the best place to be for that!

Q: How long have you and Ivo been Modo members and what type of membership plan are you on?

I started as a Monthly member in February 2016 and switched to Modo Plus in March 2018. Ivo has been my Associate member (Modo Plus) since October 2018.

Q: What made you want to join Modo as Modo Plus and Associate Members?

Modo Plus has the best rates among all Modo memberships. There’s no monthly fee when putting down the $500 refundable share deposit which is great. Also, I have a direct stake in the direction and well-being of the co-op as a shareholding member and can further support the local economy.

As my Associate member, Ivo only had to put down a refundable deposit of $250 for his Modo Plus membership. When we go on Modo trips together, it’s so convenient that we’re automatically added to each other’s bookings. We can both fob in and out the same car easily and share the driving.

Q: What does a day in the life look like for you?

Let’s do a week! During the week, I work four days at Modo downtown office and one day from home. Twice a week, I start my day by climbing at the Cliffhanger climbing gym from 6-8am. Then I take Skytrain to work and come back that way. In the evening, I spend time learning something new, working on a side project, or hanging out with friends. On the weekend I almost always spend time being in nature.

Q: How do you and your partner use Modo together?

We use Modo a lot to go on hiking, camping, and snowboarding trips with friends. Splitting the costs among 4-5 people makes the trip even more affordable, and we never have to worry about insurance or maintenance costs and hassle, compared to owning a car.

Q: How does having access to over 700+ vehicles help with your family’s transportation needs?

I used to be quite nervous with driving as I’m quite tiny and don’t drive a lot. Thanks to Modo, I got the driving experience with so many different car types. My biggest driving achievement was handling a big RAM Promaster van with my apartment furniture to move last year!

As we go up to the mountains a lot during the winter, having access to the roomy and winterized SUVs and passenger vans were super helpful. When we’re just running some errands around the city, a small car like the Toyota Prius or Honda Fit is perfect for that.

Last time when we went to Victoria for a long weekend, we took the skytrain to Tsawwassen ferry terminal, went on foot and picked up a Modo near Swartz Bay ferry terminal. That saved us almost $100 in ferry cost compared to bringing a car!

Q: What was your most memorable trip with Modo?

My favorite trip was when we took a Modo to the Rockies for a 5-day hike. That was 10 hours of driving each way. The drive was so beautiful with good company, and there were 4 of us who were Modo drivers which made it easy to share the driving.

*Valid for new members only. Offer does not include $10 non-refundable registration fee. Cannot be used in conjunction with another offer or redeemed for cash. Drive time applies to vehicle usage only; cannot be used for fines, fees, or admin costs. Drive time credit expires two months after redemption; promotion not available after February 6th, 2020.

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